EDUCATOR PORTAL

GETTING STARTED

Lesson Materials

Piper Computer Kit

Piper Computer Kit Blueprint
Download Blueprint

Learning Objectives

1. Decompose the challenge of building a computer by breaking down the tasks into steps.
2. Build teamwork skills by combining understanding and assigning roles to solve problems.
3. Perform different roles when collaborating with peers.
4. Explore how physical connections to components build a mini computer system, including both input and output devices.

Lesson Preperation

• Students are in the same teams as the first day, or make adjustments as necessary to facilitate good teamwork.
• Prepare to pass out the storage boxes from Day 1. Make sure each storage box contains all the components. Use the blueprint to verify parts.
• Charge the batteries before every session. *Note: If you don’t want students to go into the software yet hold on to the power packs and remove them from the Piper boxes (recommended).

PIPER 5E INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL

Engage

1. Have several groups share the current status of their build and share a lesson learned or discovery moment.
   • Facilitate a collaborative discussion in which they identify and list computing system problems and then describe common successful fixes.
2. Reinforce norms, roles and responsibilities of setup, organization, safety, and cleanup.
3. Teacher-led Discussion: Role Assignment - Remind teams of the roles and check to see if they are switching roles.

Explore

1. Distribute Piper Computer Kit boxes (or storage containers) with components to each group.
2. Students should be working on their planned steps for Day 2 in the graphic organizer.
3. Try not to micromanage here; students will make mistakes and find ways to solve the problem themselves. Productive Struggle is ok. (Ask three before me!)
4. Go around from team to team and ask essential questions to reinforce objectives:
   • What step are you on? Are you following the sequence?
   • Do you have all the parts that you need for this step?
   • Are you using the Blueprint? (Point to specific items on the blueprint and ask what they mean).
   • Did you lay out the parts like they show in the example? Did you see the clues that help you find the right parts?
   • Did you understand what the flip arrow means?
   • Did you notice there is a different size of screws for the hinges?

Explain

1. Show students the Piper Computer Kit blueprint and have them identify the different parts that make up the computer. Students should be aware they will be sharing their work with the class later.
2. As they identify the parts, have them answer the following:
   • What are its parts? Label them. (Screen, Camera, Speaker/Amplifier system, Microphone, Keyboard)
   • What are the purposes of the parts? How do you get information into and out of the computer? What do you use? (screen, keyboard, microphone, camera) Use a different colored pen to write the purpose.
   • What are the questions that we have about the parts? (possible answers: What can you control with them? How do they work? How do you connect them? How are they related to each other? How do they send information back and forth?) Use a different colored pen and write your questions beside the parts.

Elaborate

1. Have students record any new findings on their graphic artifact (drawings) from Lesson 1.1 and share out to the whole group (post on walls). Use a different colored pen or sticky notes to indicate new items learned.
2. Make sure groups organize, label, and store their parts and builds still in progress.
3. Collect notes and team storage box with kits.

Evaluate

1. Review student graphic artifact (drawings). Are all the Piper computer parts included? Put sticky notes on drawings asking questions about missing parts and to correct misconceptions.
2. Create Exit slips with a list of each teamwork category and have students reflect and rate themselves 1 to 5 on how well they are doing in each category and list two teamwork skills they need to work on to improve.

The continued build steps will help if the learning is led by the learners themselves but educators should help reinforce the computer science learning around teamwork and problem solving (Reference CA CS Standards 3-5.CS.3 Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies; also see 3-5.CS.3 Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies. - For example, students could prepare for and participate in a collaborative discussion in which they identify and list computing system problems and then describe common successful fixes. (CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy SL.3.1, SL.4.1, SL.5.1)

PHASE RESOURCES

Career Connections

Project Manager: Salary $104,920/yr

Construction Manager: Salary $101,480/yr

Architect: Salary $93,310/yr

Computer Hardware Engineer: Salary $132,360/yr

Graphic Organizer

Phase 1 DOWNLOAD

Term Glossary

Standards Alignment

Beginning with phase 1, all phases will align with standards that apply to all the lessons in the phase. For this phase the CA 2019 K-12 Computer Science Content Standards, 2017 Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) K-12 Computer Science Standards (csteachers.org/standards) and K–12 Computer Science Framework (k12cs.org) informed the development and alignment of the lessons that follow. Use them with daily or weekly agendas and planning. Phase 1 is where the learners first build a Piper kit.

We are excited to be aligned with the following standards.

K12 Computer Science Standards

Concepts	Standards
Computing Systems: Devices, Troubleshooting	3-5.CS.1 Describe how computing devices connect to other components to form a system. (P7.2) 3-5.CS.3 Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies. (P6.2)   6-8.CS.2 Design a project that combines hardware and software components to collect and exchange data. (P5.1)   6-8.CS.3 Systematically apply troubleshooting strategies to identify and resolve hardware and software problems in computing systems. (P6.2)
Algorithms & Programming	3-5.AP.13 Decompose problems into smaller, manageable tasks which may themselves be decomposed. (P3.2) 3-5.AP.18 Perform different roles when collaborating with peers during the design, implementation, and review stages of program development (ie. following the Piper Blueprint) 6-8.AP.13 Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs. (P3.2) 6-8.AP.18 Distribute tasks and maintain a project timeline when collaboratively developing computational artifacts. (P2.2, P5.1)
Impacts of Computing	CA CS 3-5.IC.20 Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices. 6-8.IC.21 Discuss issues of bias and accessibility in the design of existing technologies. (P1.2)
Practices	P1. Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture P2. Collaborating Around Computing P4. Developing and Using Abstractions P5. Creating Computational Artifacts P6. Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts

Next Generation Science Standards Connections

Concept	Standard
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.	4-PS4-3
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem (Performance Expectation).	3–5-ETS1-2
Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved. (P.E.3.4.7)	3–5-ETS1-3
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.	MS-ETS1-2